Chapter 10-The Protest

It was late in the afternoon when I finally got through to Gloria. After the busy day I had, with school and work I just wanted answers and fast.

She answered on the fourth ring, just when I was sure the phone would go to voicemail.

"Hello this is Gloria." She answered in a professional tone I had grown accustomed to over the past four years.

"Hi… Gloria…" I began cautiously, "not sure if you remember me, this is Taylor Holland."

"Taylor… I'm kind of surprised to hear from you, how did you get this number?" My former principal asked.

"Sophia had it I got it from her." I explained.

"I see." Gloria replied in a monotone. "What can I do for you Taylor."

"I have a problem." I began, then proceeded to explain my dilemma as briefly as possible, the Atrian legislation, Sophia's pregnancy and the situation with our house.

Gloria was quiet for a long moment as if she were absorbing what I had just told her.

"First, tell Sophia "congratulations" from me, second of all I don't directly work with the legislation, my reach only goes towards the integration program Sophia's father started, I can't guarantee what I say can push through these laws any faster."

"But it's stupid!" I exclaimed, " Why can't they just let the Atrians do stuff, it's hindering so many people's lives!"

"I know Taylor." Gloria's voice softened, "Some people during the civil rights movement in the 1960s would have argued the same thing."

"Then they end up treating me exactly how they're treating her!" I continued, "I'm not even Atrian, and don't even get me started on the looks that people give Byron, he's only three years old and people are looking at him like he's some sort of abomination!"

"Some, no matter how injust their opinion may be, would argue he is. Anything unusual people, up against they automatically see as abominable or unusual." Gloria replied.

"Then add my relationship with Sophia on top of that," I continued, "and people act like we have the plague."

Gloria chuckled lightly, although there was little humor in her tone.

"I commend you for being so open about your relationship with her, that took courage Taylor, even if she wasn't Atrian."

"Yeah, it did." I replied, "it took a few months to get everyone on the same page, but it worked… so far. We live together now, and we're trying to have as normal of a life as possible."

"That's good." Gloria replied pleasantly. "About your other request Taylor, I'll do my best, but it takes months if not years to pass things like this."

I sighed. "Wish I had that luxury, but we've got 9 months, our house as is his barely big enough for the three of us and there's barely enough room for one baby let alone two."

"I'll see what I can do." Gloria repeated.

"Thank you." I replied, "I am grateful, I just don't want my family to end up on the street."

"I understand." Gloria replied, "I commend you Taylor, most people your age wouldn't know how to deal with what you're going through, that's a lot for one person to take on."

I smiled.

"Thanks."

We talked for a few more minutes, I told her about being evicted from my own home and temporarily living with my mother and as always, Gloria was motherly and encouraging and I hung up feeling better than I had an hour before. Then I waited for Sophia to come home so I could tell her about my conversation.

When Sophia finally did come home she barely said hello to Byron before she burst into the kitchen.

"Turn on the Channel 9 news-now!" She instructed.

I did as I was told without asking, wondering what had gotten her so agitated.

The scene on the flat panel TV was a mob of protesters marching on what I knew to be Capitol Hill and instantly I knew this was big.

"What the world…?" I muttered.

I continued to watch the broadcast with a kind of horrified fascination.

"Protesters from southern states as far as Eastern Texas marched on Capitol Hill today," the news caster began, "like the civil rights movement before it, these protesters continue to show their views for Atrian reform, particularly at its epicenter in Louisiana. The United States hasn't seen protests like this since the protest of gay marriage between 2008 and 2013. Most famously the civil rights movement and segregation of African Americans. When else in history has a minority been so openly ostracized simply for being different."

As soon as the broadcast had ended I clicked off the TV.

"So this is what it is coming to." I looked at Sophia, "what were they trying to pass today?"

"Someone was pushing for a law to allow us to move outside of Louisiana, and it only attracted protesters from the other states because they think it's "weird"." Sophia made a face. If anything the plight of her people had made her more passionate and serious.

"What about the state ordinances?" I asked.

Sophia pressed her lips together pushing a strand of her dark hair behind her ear.

"Like a snail in molasses." She replied.

I smiled at her choice of words.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Keep bugging the mayor and representatives, between here and Baton Rouge until their sick of me." Sophia replied firmly.

I chuckled, kissing her cheek.

"Aren't they already sick of you?"

"Everyone but their secretaries." Sophia replied, "besides, I got Emery, Roman and Drake to back me up."

"Alright, but just be careful."

That Saturday, Roman and the others had organized a protest in front of City Hall, but unlike the scene I had seen on the news a few days prior it wouldn't be as dramatic-at least I hoped not.

We had only been marching in front of the steps for about fifteen minutes when there was an explosion and large amounts of dust and debris. Within a few minutes I realized this wasn't just dust and debris but someone had thrown smoke bombs into the crowd which only made people more disoriented. I could barely tell what was going on, I couldn't see anything.

"It's the Traggs!" Roman yelled over the increasing noise, his ice blue eyes were red rimmed from the smoke and dust and I knew he was searching the crowd for Sophia, Drake and Emery.

"Find Sophia!" I screamed, "let's get out of here!"

It was hard to determine where the noise was coming from. The air was so foggy, smoky and hazy it was hard to tell who was firing at who and who was hurt or dead. Over the noise, I could dimly hear police sirens, but I continued to elbow my way through the crowd trying to find Roman and Sophia. Suddenly someone crashed into me from behind and I fell to the ground and after that I thought for sure I was a goner. I would probably be trampled to death, but then someone grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the chaos. I could feel concrete underneath me and wasn't even sure where the person had pulled me, but afterwards I was tired of trying to keep my eyes open my head throbbed and my ears still running with the chaos, I was glad when darkness finally overtook me.